Bradley Wiggins in cycling safety plea after death at London Olympic Park

Team GB gold medal hero
Bradley Wiggins has suggested making bicycle helmets compulsory could save lives after 28-year-old cyclist Daniel Harris was knocked down and killed by a bus outside the Olympic Park.

A damaged bicycle lies next to an official London 2012 Olympics bus after a fatal collision (Picture: Getty)

The 28-year-old web developer, from Ilford, Essex, died last night after being hit by an official London 2012 Olympics bus ferrying journalists between venues.

An inquest into his death was opened and adjourned until August 31 after a brief hearing at Poplar coroner’s court, with reports Mr Harris had only recently started using his bike. His was the tenth death involving bikes in the capital so far this year.

The bus driver involved, in his mid-60s, has been bailed until a date in August pending further inquiries after being arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving.

Wiggins, who yesterday won the time trial to claim his fourth Olympic gold and seventh medal overall, said he thought a lot could be done to improve cyclists’ safety, particularly in London.

‘It’s dangerous and London is a busy city with a lot of traffic,’ the 32-year-old said when the cyclist’s death was raised at a Games press conference.

‘I think we have to help ourselves sometimes.

‘I haven’t lived in London for 10 to 15 years now and it’s got a lot busier since I was riding a bike as a kid round here, and I got knocked off several times.’

Bradley Wiggins talks to journalists after his gold medal in the men’s time trial (Picture: PA)

Wiggins went on to say: ‘But I think things are improving to a degree – there are organisations out there who are attempting to make the roads safer for both parties. But at the end of the day we’ve all got to co-exist on the roads.

‘Cyclists are not ever going to go away, as much as drivers moan, and as much as cyclists maybe moan about certain drivers they are never going to go away, so there’s got to be a bit of give and take.’

The four-time Olympic champion later clarified that he had not called for a law change but had suggested ‘it may be the way to give cyclists more protection’ if involved in an accident.

The London ambulance service said: ‘We were called at just after 7.30pm to reports of a road traffic collision involving a cyclist and a coach on the A106.

‘We sent a single response car, one ambulance crew, the London air ambulance and the duty officer. Sadly one person was pronounced dead at the scene by the air ambulance doctor.’

A London 2012 spokesman added: ‘We can confirm that a cyclist tragically died as a result of a collision with a bus carrying media from the Olympic Park this evening.

‘The police are investigating the accident and our thoughts are with the cyclist’s family.’